The primary reaction to Alberto Contador's victory over Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France on Sunday has been a nod to athletic normalcy and a poignant appreciation for the American's grace in defeat. Indeed, the younger, fitter Spaniard was outstanding, and his a freakish combination of climbing power and sprinting speed makes him a worthy successor to Lance as cycling's dominant force.

But let's not bury the Texan just yet. For I have a strong suspicion the 2009 Tour de France was mostly about the 2010 Tour de France. Armstrong has already indicated he will most likely ride in next year's race. He will be almost 39 then, an impossibly advanced age for most cyclists to consider the 23 days of agony the Tour demands. But, as has been proven so often, Armstrong is not "most cyclists".

Consider: He's just shy of 38. He's coming off a badly broken collarbone suffered in March. He took two full years off from the sport and devoted the time to an exhausting whirlwind of cancer research lobbying and highly public romances. And he spent a good deal of his "rest" period hanging out with Matthew McConaughey, which cannot be good for anyone's athletic ambitions.

For all of that, Lance was atop the final podium Sunday. His third-place finish may have seemed disappointing to the majority accustomed to his victories in France, but in a cycling context, it was an extraordinary accomplishment. Armstrong battled a much younger, fitter rider, one at the top of his powers, and one who, once he established that he was the strongest rider, could rely on the support of an exceptional teammate: Lance Armstrong.

Many, if not most, athletes would have crumbled at the strong slap of reality smacking them in the face. Instead, Armstrong put his head down, helped Contador win the yellow jersey, said all the right things – and quietly started plotting next year's comeback.

For even though Armstrong will be a year older in 2010, much will be different. For one thing, Contador is almost certain to leave Astana, his and Armstrong's current powerhouse team. "We are totally incompatible," Contador said after his victory. "In the end, Armstrong will go his way and I'll go mine."

Organisation is hugely important in the Tour de France, as critical if not more so than the rider's fitness. Astana set new standards for excellence in this area, even more so than the US Postal Service team that Armstrong carried to his seven straight wins. The Blue Train had some powerful riders to support Armstrong but wasn't bankrolled behind the scenes to the extent Astana is. From masseurs to food to logistics to maintenance, Astana is absolutely top of the line.

So Contador is likely to discover a different world when he leaves. Armstrong, meanwhile, will be challenging the title holder with the continued support of the team (which will be renamed Team RadioShack for next season), and there isn't likely to be any confusion about who is top dog.

You have to think Armstrong spent much of his time on the bike the past three weeks studying Contador, sizing up his strengths and (few) weaknesses, and is already putting together a battle plan for upending the younger rider.

Armstrong's career is a testament to coming back when least expected, and drawing tremendous motivation from setback. These elements will be in place at the 2010 starting line. It would be a mistake to think that there isn't one more Tour de Lance ahead.